BMU gets OK for $30.6M wastewater plant upgrade

BROOKINGS – “Shall we see how fast we can spend $30 million?” joked City Manager Jeff Weldon as he introduced the resolution authorizing funding for the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Approval of the multi-year wastewater project was front and center at Tuesday’s council session after an anticipated meeting highlight – a final discussion of changes to the city’s conditional use permitting process – failed to materialize.

The conditional use debate has extended over several council meetings, and it was expected the matter would be laid to rest this week. But Mayor Tim Reed tabled the issue once again, due to the absence of John Kubal, who has been the chief opponent of the changes.